Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to medical devices and methods of using the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to surgical devices for tissue fixation.
Background of Related Art
Techniques for repairing damaged or diseased tissue are widespread in medicine. Wound closure devices, such as sutures and staples, as well as other repair devices like mesh or patch reinforcements, are frequently used for repair. For example, in the case of hernias, a surgical mesh or patch is commonly used to reinforce the abdominal wall. Typically, sutures, staples, and/or tacks are utilized to fix the surgical mesh or patch to surrounding tissue.
The current standard of care for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, for example, involves the application of stay sutures that are placed both through a surgical mesh and trans-abdominally, and tied down just underneath the skin. Permanent sutures are typically used for this application. The sutures are placed around the perimeter of the mesh, and sometimes in the center to permanently tie the mesh to the area of herniation and to prevent the mesh from sliding within the peritoneum. For each stay suture, a surgeon will pierce the abdominal wall with a suture passer and grasp one end of a suture that has been pre-placed on the mesh, and pull the end of the suture through the abdominal wall and out past the skin. When the two ends of the suture are outside of the patient, the surgeon will pull up on the mesh and tie down a knot in the suture, compressing the abdominal wall and keeping the mesh tight against the peritoneum. The surgeon will then cut the excess suture and close the skin over the knot. This process may take about a minute or two for each stay suture, and may be associated with acute and/or chronic pain, likely due to compression of the abdominal wall and the nerves within it.
It would be advantageous to provide a fixation device that simplifies and shortens the time to secure a mesh, and limits or prevents pain caused by abdominal wall and nerve compression.